Page 88 of Crown of Briars
She nuzzled my neck with her snout, and I laughed again, stroking her head affectionately.
“I’ll be sleeping a few levels down. There’s an empty guest suite with a big enough balcony for me to use.”
“All right. Please be careful.”
“I’m always careful, human.”Her voice was laced with that same amusement I knew so well. I smiled, grateful to have an echo of our usual banter.
I stood back to let her take off. She dove off the edge of the balcony, wings spread to slow her descent. I peered over the edge, watching as she settled onto a large stone platform a few levels below me. The sight of her so close to me, ready to come to my aid if needed, soothed some of the chaotic emotions roiling within me.
I took a deep breath and moved closer to the doors before tapping lightly on the glass. When Ramia didn’t respond, I knocked louder, the pane rattling. I flinched, hoping there were no fae nearby who would hear.
A muffled exclamation sounded from within the chamber. An orange light indicated Ramia had lit a lantern. Within seconds, she was fumbling with the balcony doors. When they flew open, I offered a hesitant smile.
Ramia’s graying hair was down, falling nearly halfway down her back. She wore a loose white sleeping gown and blinked blearily at me, as if she thought I was a specter come to visit in her dreams.
“I’m sorry for the intrusion,” I said quickly. “But I don’t feel safe in my rooms. Can I stay with you?”
Ramia uttered a soft gasp, then stepped forward to grab my elbow. “Of course, my lady.”
I exhaled, relieved she didn’t ask questions. I would have to tell her what happened sooner or later. But, as she guided me into her rooms and closed the balcony doors, I decided it could wait. I felt too emotionally exhausted to sift through the memories of tonight—the diamond tiara, my bold behavior with the king, Warwick’s threats, the strange black stone, and my discovery with Azure in the Noxen Forest.
Not to mention whoever had been urgently trying to get into my rooms.
Ramia offered me her bed, but I immediately curled up on the sofa on the opposite end of her room, tucking my cloak around me. Wordlessly, she draped a large fur blanket over meand offered a gentle smile before she blew out the lantern and returned to bed.
When my eyes shut, I saw that same glowing red gem. It beckoned to me, as if calling me to return.
And I swore that I would. Soon.
I summonedClermont to take care of Murvo’s body. My mind kept sifting through Murvo’s last words to me, trying to make sense of them.
Find the original script of the curse.
There is more that you must do.
With her dead, there is another… Someone else…
Another what? What had he been about to tell me?
As for the original script, I had no idea where to find it. Journals had been passed down through the years, but all accounts of the sorceress’s curse were from my bloodline. There was no way to know if the words documented had been an exact transcription of the curse or not. Even the alteration of one word could make a monumental difference.
I sat in the library, running a hand down my face for the hundredth time as I stared into the fire. No matter how many times I mentally ran over my interrogation with Murvo, it still didn’t make any sense.
I needed to speak with Tislora. She knew ancient magic like this and might be able to shed some light on it.
But I didn’t move from my chair. I couldn’t bring myself to just yet.
Tislora knew everything about the curse. There had been atime when we had shared everything together. When my father had been king, I had held nothing back.
But then, once he’d died, everything had changed. I had inherited the curse, and, from there, my life was not my own.
Tislora was clever and intelligent, and her resources were invaluable. I knew she could be of assistance.
But… she cared little for Sybelle. If I told her about Warwick, I knew exactly what she would say:Who cares if the little human gets attacked?
I gritted my teeth as I glared at the flames in the hearth. Much to my surprise and irritation,Icared what happened to Sybelle. I didn’t want to. Hell, I had tried my damnedest not to.
But I couldn’t stand by and allow her to be hurt, especially by a bastard like Warwick. She was my wife. Regardless of where she came from or how despicable her people were, she did not deserve to be left at the mercy of a fae like Warwick.
